Green Mandarin Dragonette

KirstenB · Jun 11, 2019

bluprntguy said:
Depends what phyto you have. I assume you have the concentrated dark green phytofeast as that's what most LFS's sell. I usually put in 10-15 drops a few times a week in my system. 20 drops is a ML. You'd probably be fine with a ML in your system, but there is a fair amount of ammonia in these concentrated phyto bottles, so you may want to ramp up to make sure that your biofilter can process it. I usually put this in my sump right before I turn the pumps off for feeeding. That allows the pods in the sump to eat the phyto while you are feeding your fish in the DT.

These are the non-hatching decapsulated brine shrimp eggs. They won't hatch. It says so right in the name of the product. They are meant for feeding directly to corals and fish. My mandarin eats these like candy. Turn all the pumps off because they are tiny and get blown around with any water movement.

You'll want regular brine shrimp eggs for hatching. This is the hatchery I think I mentioned in a previous post. It doesn't require airline and separates the baby brine shrimp from the eggs (the baby brine swim towards the open area in the center as they are attracted to light. It comes with enough eggs for about a month: https://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/hatchery-dish

How long do you leave the pumps off for you think? Got the brine shrimps and they are all just floating to the top after like 10 mins it seems. Ty!

KirstenB · Jun 11, 2019

And my goodness do my clowns love to eat these! Dangit lol! Stop lil clowns stop lol!!

KirstenB · Jun 11, 2019

Saw the answer. An hour twice daily. How long do you think a Mandarin can eat baby brine for? Its so much cheaper this way. :/

bluprntguy · Jun 11, 2019

KirstenB said:
Saw the answer. An hour twice daily. How long do you think a Mandarin can eat baby brine for? Its so much cheaper this way. :/

I don't think there's a limit. freshly hatched baby brine shrimp are pretty nutritious. Eventually you'll want them on some frozen foods probably for convenience. Eventually your pod population should build up enough that you don't have to keep replenishing it.

KirstenB · Jun 11, 2019

Ty. I have been researching a bit since doing the first baby brine shrimp feeding tonight noticing not a lot of shrimp were near the bottom. Apparently you need to make a baby brine shrimp feeder? I am by no means creative enough to make any of the ones I've found online... plus they are a bit of an eyesore for my personal taste. I can't find a baby brine shrimp feeder premade for a green Mandarin. Do they even exist? I love my fish but now I have to spend hours a day feeding this guy. If only I had the space for a refugium! Getting a little frustrated tonite as had hopes I could just dump these in a few times a day... pumps on... and if my pod population never got off the ground I thought it would still be ok. My Mandarin is getting skinny. I just want these daily brine shrimps to get to him.

Sigh. Help.

bluprntguy · Jun 11, 2019

KirstenB said:
Ty. I have been researching a bit since doing the first baby brine shrimp feeding tonight noticing not a lot of shrimp were near the bottom. Apparently you need to make a baby brine shrimp feeder? I am by no means creative enough to make any of the ones I've found online... plus they are a bit of an eyesore for my personal taste. I can't find a baby brine shrimp feeder premade for a green Mandarin. Do they even exist? I love my fish but now I have to spend hours a day feeding this guy. If only I had the space for a refugium! Getting a little frustrated tonite as had hopes I could just dump these in a few times a day... pumps on... and if my pod population never got off the ground I thought it would still be ok. My Mandarin is getting skinny. I just want these daily brine shrimps to get to him.

I've not made a feeder yet, I use the coral feeder (link below) or a standard turkey baster to blast the baby brine shrimp down to the mandarin. They eventually swim towards the light where the other fish eat them. The mandarin used to run away from the turkey baster, but now she knows and just waits under he favorite rock.
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/skimz-coral-feeder-2-pack.html